The present invention relates generally to sinkers and, more specifically, to a sinker and a method of making a sinker that is easily secured to and safely removed from a fishing line.
Fisherman have long used weights or sinkers attached to a fishing line to cause the fishing bait to sink to selected depths in order to catch fish. The weight or sinker also aids the fisherman when casting the bait, particularly lightweight bait, into the water. The present invention comprises an improved sinker and a method of making a sinker that can be held in a fixed line position by mateable line gripping surfaces. In addition, the present invention provides a weight or sinker that is easily attached to fishing line and can be removed from the fishing line without harming the fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,618,100 shows a fishing sinker with crevices for looping the fishing line around the sinker.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,652 shows a tear shaped fishing sinker where the line is looped around the sinker.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,067 shows a snap on sinker with a ring to hold the halves of the sinker in position on the fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,212 shows a salt water sinker with crimpable arms that prevents removal of the sinker from a fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,833 shows a fishing sinker with two halves that can be clamped on a fishing line to hold a line and bait under water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,092 shows a fishing weight having an insert therein for engaging a fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,775 shows a weed-less sinker having nubs on each end of the sinker to fold over the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,966 shows a cam action fishing sinker device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,903 shows a sliding or fixed fishing sinker where the line can be looped on the sinker to prevent the sinker from sliding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,107 shows a fixed and sliding spherical fishing sinker for attachment to a fishing line by clamping the two halves to the fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,236 shows a fishing line sinker having a quick attachment device.
The present invention includes a user-friendly removable sinker and a method of making a user friendly one piece sinker which is reversibly attachable to a fishing line. The sinker is composed of finger bendable, non-resilient material. The sinker has first and second ends, with the first end of the sinker smaller than the second end, with the sinker smoothly converging from the second end to the first end to form a streamlined outer truncated, cone shape. The sinker includes first and second jaws separated by a line accepting passage extending from the first end to the second end of the sinker member. The first jaw has a first line gripping surface and a second line gripping surface within the line accepting passage and the second jaw includes first and second line gripping surfaces that are mateable to the line gripping surfaces on the first jaw. The mateable line gripping surfaces produce a nonlinear path through the line accepting passage, so that squeezing together the first and second jaws causes the line gripping surfaces to coact and circumferentially squeeze and maintain the fishing line in the geometric center of the sinker to prevent slippage of the fishing line therein and to minimize the tendency of the sinker to act like a propeller. A tension adjusted peripheral hinge connects the first jaw to the second jaw to maintain the discontinuous first line gripping surface in gripping engagement with the second discontinuous line gripping surface. A relief proximate the line accepting passage that extends the length of the sinker ensures that if the first and second jaw line gripping surfaces are squeezed together one can insert an object larger than the sinker to pry apart the first and second jaw.